Feeling nostalgic? LC football welcomes familiar face back with high hopes for 2016

Lynden Christian’s Tyson Cline makes a catch during practice on Aug. 19. Cline and the Lyncs reached the northwest district playoffs in 2015 and are looking to return this year. Evan Abelleabell@bhamherald.com

Lynden Christian’s Tyson Cline makes a catch during practice on Aug. 19. Cline and the Lyncs reached the northwest district playoffs in 2015 and are looking to return this year. Evan Abelleabell@bhamherald.com

No need for introductions – everybody has already met.

Though the Lynden Christian football team heads into the 2016 season with a new coach, there’s really nothing all that new about Dan Kaemingk, who previously led the Lyncs for 21 seasons before stepping down in 2010. During that time, he helped LC reach the state playoffs 13 times and claim a state title in 1997.

And even when Kaemingk wasn’t leading the Lyncs the past five years, he really couldn’t stay away. He spent the past three seasons as the team’s defensive coordinator under cousin Galen Kaemingk.

“He’s kind of our new old head coach,” senior quarterback and cornerback Colby Flint said. “Most of the team knows him really well, because we’ve had him as a teacher previously and we all have a good relationship with him.”

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There is a new energy in the program. Coach Kaemingk can push us a lot harder than others have previously.

Lynden Christian senior quarterback/defensive back Colby Flint

Those relationships have helped the Lyncs during summer practices, and it has helped the coach turn his players into the student-athletes he wants them to be.

“I’ve had the advantage of teaching almost all of these guys in middle school,” Kaemingk said. “I have a relationship with them that allows me to challenge them. They know that I love them, but they also know that I can get after them when needed.”

These types of relationships have made practices fun and energetic but also a time for learning, Kaemingk said.

During a scrimmage, many players were flying around hitting each other but also laughing about things. Coaches as well were laughing and yelling jokes across the field, making others laugh.

6 The number of times coach Kaemingk led the Lyncs to the state semifinals during his 21 seasons before stepping down in 2010.

“This game is meant to be played for fun,” Kaemingk said. “We want the players to have fun, so I encourage the coaches to have fun and do fun drills, which hopefully rubs off on the players to have some fun as well.”

The Lyncs are looking to build on a successful 2015 campaign, when they went 5-5 and made the district playoffs before losing to King’s. The Lyncs will run the same defense Kaemingk ran the past three seasons. Offensively, the Lyncs have made changes that start with a new offensive coordinator.

“Coach (Jon) Van Hulzen has brought a whole new dimension to the offense,” Flint said.

Kaemingk said even though players are having a ton of new offensive game plans thrown at them, they’re handling it well.

Offensively, we’re really throwing a lot at them, but they’re really working hard to learn it, and we’re excited to see how they do.

Lynden Christian coach Dan Kaemingk

Offensively, the Lyncs are waiting to name their starting quarterback from a battle between Flint and junior Ty Van Dyken. Running the ball will be junior Jordan Riddle, who will be more of the scat back, and senior David Bladies, who rushed for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2015. A big target for the Lyncs’ passing game should be senior receiver Tyson Cline, who has “worked his tail off” since he was a freshman, according to Kaemingk.

Defensively, Lynden Christian will rely on hard-hitting senior linebacker Nathan Wynstra, junior defensive end George De Jong and Cline in the secondary.

“We’re starting to rally as a team on and off the field,” Flint said. “The team camaraderie is high, and we think we can be really successful this season.”